Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 24: The trans-Line of Control (LoC) trade standoff between India and Pakistan through Uri in North Kashmir has ended as traders of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and their Kashmiri counterparts deciding to resume the trade from tomorrow.
The Trade Facilitation Officer, Salamabad, Showkat Ahmad Rather, told Excelsior that trans-LoC trade leaders of the PoK and Kashmir and officials from PoK and Kashmir met at the Aman Setu this afternoon and resolved the trade standoff.
Rather said that the traders have decided to resume the trade from tomorrow. “The officials had already resolved the issue but the traders have some issues that were resolved in today’s meeting”, he said.
He said that 10 representatives of traders from Kashmir, including Hilal Turkey, Tariq Khan, Raja Zahoor and Asif Lone, and seven from PoK participated in the meeting that lasted for over a hour.
The officials who attended the meeting include Additional DC Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, SDPO Uri Kamleshwar Puri, Director General LoC trade PoK Brigadier Ismail Khan, TFO, Chakoti and Basharat Ahmad.
The TFO Salamabad said the matter regarding the full body scanners at the TFC for better scrutiny has already been taken up with the Government.
On January 17, the trans-LoC trade was suspended after Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a driver Mohammad Shafiq Awan of PoK on charges of smuggling Brown Sugar.
The PoK officials detained 27 Kashmiri drivers for over 26 days and refused to allow their 48 drivers to come home. However, on February 12, the officials of both the sides agreed to allow the stranded drivers to return to their respective destinations ending the standoff. It was decided that the law will decide the fate of the PoK driver whose is in Police custody.
On February 20, the LoC trade failed to resume as the drivers in the PoK and traders demanded the release of the detained driver.
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